Archive for May, 2008

Congregational comings and goings since GA 2006

Saturday, May 10th, 2008

After the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly in 2006, I asked if any new congregations were admitted. This I researched and also noted which congregations were no longer a member.

I’ve just now reviewed the minutes of the UUA Board of Trustees and the observer notes of the District Presidents Association since then and here are […]

unitarianuniversalists.org

Saturday, May 10th, 2008

I grabbed this domain today. (No content.) Seems unwise for it to be floating available — it could be snapped up by anyone — when it could be very valuable for Unitarian Universalist promotion.

Even more valuable than magazine ads.

Cost: $24 for two years.

Just saying.

These are the emerging congregations

Friday, May 9th, 2008

Since a picture — or map — is worth a thousand words, I’ve created a Google map showing where all the emerging congregations in the Unitarian Universalist Association are. I’ve tried to put the most recent details with each congregation, but if you see an error, please make a comment.

View Larger Map

You can also view […]

How many congregations are emerging?

Friday, May 9th, 2008

I’m going to take a couple of days to consider the issue of congregational growth in the Unitarian Universalist Association.

So I asked myself: How many emerging congregations — organizations in formation and those (once covenanted) that plan to join the Unitarian Universalist Association — are there? Their number is a good indicator of the UUA’s […]

Help needed: FOSS for public transportation systems

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Do you know of free and open source software (FOSS) for managing public transit (public transportation) systems? Especially small, bus-based systems. Perhaps I don’t know the lingo well enough, but all I can find are expensive, proprietary systems. You would think there was a need.

As in earlier requests, pointers to good association or government sites, […]

Let us say goodbye with respect

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

A follow up to the idea of congregation growth in the Unitarian Universalist Association.

The fact is that, at last, everything dies: organizations and relationships included. Congregations do choose to leave the UUA, consolidate or (perhaps not by choice) disband. Even though we often talk about human death in a beautiful and pastoral way, I’ve noticed […]

Helping Lower Walnut: office suite

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

It’s no secret I love OpenOffice.org. It’s no secret that there’s a new 2.4 release and a beta for the 3.0 release out. Perhaps less well known is that you can run Windows and use OpenOffice.org. (The 3.0 version, with full release due in September, should benefit long-suffering Mac users.)

The Rev. Angela Mather knew her […]

Help needed: Passenger rail advocacy

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

Do you know of a good organization (a c3 or an advocacy c4) — in addition to the National Association of Railroad Passengers — that advocates for increased passenger rail service in the United States? Especially state initiatives. Thoughtful blogs are welcome, too.

Helping Lower Walnut: a free antivirus

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

You’ll recall the Rev. Angela Mather and her cash-strapped parish in Lower Walnut, Maine: a use case for free and open source software and other solutions for congregations.

One of the problems she had was an old Windows computer that was sluggish and temperamental. A friend from seminary thought it might be infected with viruses.

But anti-virus […]

Reader’s question: historic liturgy help

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

I am not watching primary returns; I am looking over to replies I made to my gracious readers.

A few weeks ago, a reader asked for Universalist liturgical help for a service with a theme that featured a historic woman. I suggested that the service could end with the benediction Phebe Hanaford gave at her ordination […]